Data security is a priority in the manufacture of storage systems such as solid state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), tape drives, optical drives, etc. Preventing access to secret data objects, such as encryption keys, provides individuals, businesses, and governments with confidence in the ability of the storage systems to adapt to increasing amounts of electronically stored information without sacrificing security. Traditional storage systems integrate a controller on a single system on chip (SOC) design that includes a processor for performing secure operations, firmware for accessing and performing operations on secret data objects, and secure information, such as encryption keys, stored within an internal SOC memory. In such configurations, the boundary (e.g., the various connections and means of accessing the components of the SOC) of the SOC is the smallest boundary in which secret data objects, such as encryption keys or keys that are used to derive encryption keys, may be guaranteed secure. That is, secret data objects are only as secure as the SOC, and any device that can access the components of the SOC (e.g., the processor) can also access the secret data objects.